Page 175 of Long Live the King

Quentin said, “I think we can go in and out for supplies and to get some of our things?—”

I said, “Ash needs to return to let the bartender at the Palace know she’s okay.”

Ash said, “And my family.”

James said, “Good, but overall I think I’d like Sophie and Junior to remain here, I don’t relish the idea of moving the baby again.”

Quentin said, “I agree, it’s comfortable and safe here. There’s the nursery.”

“And just til the baby gets older.”

Quentin said, “I get it. That sounds good. Maybe you and I can go to Fernandina on a supply run. ”

Ash said, “I don’t really understand how this works, I need to tell Don I’m okay, do I need to go now? Because I don’t like the idea of using that tech again.”

I said, “You can wait a bit, until you’re ready, and then go to the day after you left?—”

Quentin said, “Usually we give a three day buffer. But in this case you want to set Don’s mind at ease, we can make an exception. But when you go to the Island you need to bereallycautious. I know this goes without saying to the rest of us, we are back on high alert. Extra security, all the precautions. We got another madman — no playing around.”

Ash nodded.

I said, “What I would recommend is wait here until you’re ready, then go.”

Lizbeth said, “Ye are welcome here as long as ye need, all of ye are welcome tae stay.”

Quentin said, “Beaty and I will stay here, but James and I will go on some supply runs. Then Beaty and I can go meet up with Magnus.”

James said, “Damnit, now I want to go too. I don’t want to miss out on seeing Mags with a crown on his head in ancient Scotland. Sophie, Junior, and I are a maybe, we’re going to stay here until we’re ready but we might go, too.”

Quentin said, “So Beaty, Noah, and I are ‘going later’. James and Sophie, and Junior are ‘going maybe later’. What about you, Lochie? After Ash goes to Fernandina to check in?”

Lochie looked at Ash shaking his head. “We discussed that she will stay with me. We haena discussed what that means.”

She was holding Lochie’s hand on her lap, she leaned in and Lochie kissed her forehead.

Emma and I looked at each other and smiled.

Quentin said, “So you’re an ‘undecided maybe going later’ — you’ll stay here while you decide.”

Lochie nodded, looking down at her. “This is a big question tae ask someone tae go tae m’brother’s castle in the thirteenth century...”

She shook her head, her eyes wide. “I mean, what in the world kind of question is this? I just left there,apparently— Iwas in the thirteenth century... I don’t even know what to think about this — can I be armed? I need a gun to protect myself.”

Lady Mairead said, “Ye just rose in my estimation. Aye, ye must be armed well.”

“Good... but I still don’t know how to wrap my head around this.”

Lochie joked, “Tis easy, ye just hae tae accept that tis a place with nae toilet paper.”

Fraoch tapped the book. “There will be toilet paper, I put it on the list.”

Quentin said, “James and I will get more. But this is a good point, how long is Magnus going to be there?”

Fraoch said, “I think he will need tae be there for a long time, he needs tae hold the throne.”

Quentin said, “That answer doesn’t help me know how much toilet paper to get.”

James said, “How about we’ll get a buttload?”

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